We See Ghosts
by Livelovelaw
Summary: Ten years ago, Rey Kenobi got into a horrible accident. After waking up from a week long coma, she knew she's not the normal girl she used to be. She can now see ghosts. But it all changed when she bumped a tall, black haired man on the street.
1. She Sees Ghosts

_Ow!" Rey shouted at the man who bumped her. His sling bag merely brushed her shoulders but the force was strong enough to send her off balance. Rey fell on the sidewalk bottom first, whilst her things — several notebooks, school pads, and books— came flying all over the street. She looked over her shoulder, sending a menacing glare at the man. They momentarily locked eyes but the man reverted his glance as soon as he saw her. He then continued to walk, his strides long and fast, as if he never caused anyone trouble._

_She pouted, her three-piece hair bun started to itch due to annoyance for some reason. What a prick, she thought as she scratched her hair. Soon, she sighed, mumbling and grumbling on her own as she picked up her things from the ground. She didn't know what was more frustrating — the fact that she fell on her buttocks because of some careless adult or the fact that she doesn't have a school bag._

_Maybe it was both. But another glance at the man proved it wrong. Sure, he was a jackass; to think that he saw her —another human being who's far smaller than him fall, but did not do anything about it proved that he lacked a proper sense of decency or manners. But there was something else in the man altogether. He was restless and disoriented; like a person who drunk all night struggling to get home in the morning. He kept glancing at his sides, then he would freeze for some reason, rooted in place. Rey could see his shoulders tense like he was immensely afraid of something or someone._

_What is he afraid of, exactly? Rey thought as she collected the final pieces of her school stuff. Hugging her things on her chest, she made a final brush on her knees, dusting off the dark marks of the pavement that latched onto her worn out second hand school skirt. Maybe the man was indeed drunk, a weirdo, or just a person who was ultimately having a bad day. She hoped that he was just having a rough morning, for she decided to let the matter go. It was an accident, he didn't mean it. Rey would give the man a benefit of the doubt. She would forgive him for bumping her, after all everyone has their ups and downs. Of all the people in the world, she should know this. At the meager age of twelve, she already knew that everyone has their struggles. So she cannot blame him. The man having a bad day is not his fault._

_Rey made a small whistle, happily puckering her mouth to boost her optimism. Today is her first day of high school, and a small accident can't and won't bring her down. Skipping and trotting on the sidewalk, she continued on with her journey towards her school. But her joyous prance turned into a full blown run when she saw the stop light. At the end of the sidewalk, the crossing had been lit green, signalling pedestrians to cross it. Brushed with a sense of urgency, her strides became wider and wider, hoping to catch it. Ever since she started going to school, she always crosses this intersection unimpeded. Maybe it was luck or pure coincidence, but she never misses this crossing. Not ever, and especially not today. So, she ran with full might, but her little strides proved otherwise. Soon, the green light blinked rapidly, signalling a change. Rey frowned as she ran. Today is definitely an exception to her luck. She knew she would not make it, but she sprinted anyway. Still full of optimism, she thought that if she can't catch the green light of the stop sign, at least she would be first in line once its color changes again — that was the idea._

_She saw people stop at the edge of the street, busy men and women silently waiting for a change of sign. Rey knew she had to wiggle her way towards the front, not that she's competitive, but yeah, she wanted to be first. But there was one person who wouldn't stop — the man who bumped her —was maybe really drunk or dazed that he did not notice that the stop light on their side had already bled red. His feet began moving in a rapid pace, with the intention of actually crossing the busy intersection._

_"Hey!" She screamed in concern, still running to reach the end of the sidewalk. No noticed the man; not the pedestrians waiting to cross alongside him. It was as if he was invisible to everybody else. No one saw him being reckless and stupid._

_Just her._

_"Sir!" Rey screamed further, trying to call his attention. With her panic apparent, and her adrenaline spiking all over her little body, Rey raced towards the street. She thought she could catch him; grab his shirt, his sling bag, or something! Rey struggled through the crowd, wiggling her way towards the man. But as soon as her small fingers attempted to take a hold of his sleeve, the wind stubbornly fluttered, whipping the man's shirt away from her grasp. She missed him by just a millimeter — a hairline._

_Rey gasped, it was already too late. She wouldn't be able to stop him._

_No!_

Rey heard a crash; the sound of flesh colliding with metal and the sound of shattering glass. It was followed by the smell of rubber burning into her nostrils, then the sound of tires screeching in her ears. She screamed at the top of her lungs, almost overpowering the distant screeching sound that they meld into one eerie noise.

She brought herself to sit on her make-shift bed, sweat already filing up her whole face. It was another nightmare, but it wasn't her usual ones.

How long has it been since she dreamt of her accident ten years ago?

Rey heaved a heavy sigh, wiping a bead of sweat that trickled down her cheek with the back of her palm. With another exhale, she tried to calm herself. It was just a dream, she thought as she placed her palm on her chest. Her heart had been thumping frantically, its rhythmic beating echoing through her small silent room. It did not help her efforts of relaxation. If there was something, the sound of her heart became somewhat a distracting and an uncomfortable noise.

It was just a dream, she repeated once more with a hiss of fake calm.

_Just a dream._

So why does it feel like it was real? Vivid and physical that her mended bones and grotesque scars ached tremendously in the cold night. She didn't know if it was all just in her head, but the pain of being ran over by a taxi cab in one of the busiest intersections in Aldera City, burned through her whole being. She shuddered, hugging herself with her thin frail arms. She prevented herself from breaking down from the lingering trauma. After all, the tragic incident was all in the past. She is alive; she survived. There is no use for crying over that.

She sighed, running her hand through her messy bed head. Her fingers got stuck along its ends that she had to forcefully pull her hand down to loosen them. She deliberately caused herself some pain, thinking that the hurt on her scalp would serve as a distraction.

A distraction, she blinked at the idea. Yes, she just needs a distraction. Feeling a little bit hopeful, Rey pulled her mobile phone from underneath her pillow. Her fingers lazily worked their way towards its screen, the light from the small rectangular device momentarily blinded her that she squinted her eyes. She didn't care, though. She needed the diversion.

First, she checked her cellphone calendar. It was a habit she got accustomed to ever since she acquired the digital device. After all, she is an organized creature, and basically an adult. She read its contents, but her eyebrows furrowed in confusion soon after. There should be a small green dot on tomorrow's date. Tomorrow. She has an important job interview tomorrow.

She gasped upon realization, instantly checking the time. 3:00 am.

It was already morning. Her interview is today.

She hissed in annoyance, silently cursing on her head. Of all days her brain conjured another bad dream, it had to be the most important day in her life. She sighed soon after, clicking the button on the side of her cellphone to lock it. She dropped it in between her crossed legs, staring at it blankly. She should be resting right now but her half-dazed brain had already been awake. Rey knew it would take some time before she would be able to sleep again and laying on her bed waiting for slumber won't cut it. She needed to tire herself out if she wanted to sleep some more.

She thought of several mental exercises, almost picking up her phone to play some games. But she was too lazy; too groggy to even lift her fingers. Finally, she settled on sitting still, computing mentally instead on how many hours of sleep she needed to have a well rested night.

It was now 3:05 am. Her interview is at 9:00 am, so she still has one, two, three... she counted, lifting her fingers one by one.

Suddenly stopping at counting, Rey snapped her head towards her window. She was sure as hell that a soft breeze danced inside her room; passing swift on her face like someone blew a breath in her face. She stared at the probable source of air, bewildered. Her window was covered by a small curtain, and she remembered clearly that the night before, she shut it tight. The curtain did not move, also, she didn't have a mechanical fan (the nights in Alderaan are cold especially with the oncoming winter), so there's no way that wind could enter her room.

For a while, she kept staring at it blankly, wondering if it was part of her imagination. She was still dazed from her nightmare, so maybe, it was all in her brain.

"Psst." A small voice whispered, distracting her even before her brain can conjure a rational explanation for the unknown breeze in her room. It came from the other side of her apartment. Rey cocked her head to the side, eyes wide and searching. She heard the voice, loud and clear. It's coming from the walls?

By the time she heard it, Rey's conscious mental faculties had stopped functioning; her subconscious readying itself for a fight and flight response. She cringed unwillingly; the little hairs on her nape standing at its ends. The little prickles on her skin made her tense in place. Her skin crawled, warning her. Soon, even her conscious mind had been telling her to flee but she was rooted on the spot. Even with the adrenaline running all over her, her body won't move an inch. She kept her head down instead, her stare glued at the matte black screen of her mobile phone that was sitting in between her legs. Not looking around to search for what was within her walls should have been a safe move but she gasped in shock, eyes wide at her mobile phone. Like her room, the screen was black, dark and opaque. But in its reflection, a figure, vaguely shaped like a human being was there... hovering just on top of her head.

Rey bit her the insides of her lip in panic. She should have turned her glance away from her phone, but she didn't have the courage to lift her head up. Even if she was brave enough to move, her neck muscles were not functioning like she wanted them to. She involuntarily kept her head down, staring and staring at the shadow to the point that her heart, which she successfully told to calm down, started to race again in sheer fright. Its frantic beats reached up to her throat, choking her; making it difficult to breathe.

With every labored breathing she mustered, came the awful realization —She's not alone.

_Someone is watching her. _From behind her, on top of her head, or in front? She didn't know. She didn't dare to confirm. It... it was just there on her cellphone reflection.

"Not today..." She whispered in faux bravery, curling her hand into a fist that her knuckles turned white.

"Psst." It went on again. This time the tone of the voice was high and playful; teasing, even. As if it knew; it knew that she was fully aware of its presence.

Rey's lips quivered in hopelessness. Her already fake courage dwindled into nothingness, instantly substituted by sheer terror.

"...please." She pleaded with tear stricken eyes. But her pleas were unheard for the reflection of the vague figure on her cellphone screen started to grow larger and larger. Whatever it was, it was coming; getting nearer; going closer towards her face.

Rey panicked, abruptly pulling her blanket to cover her whole body. She heard her phone fall, making a loud thud as it hit the old wooden floor. It was probably broken already, but she's not giving a shit about it because her bed... someone is on her bed!

She felt the pressure near her feet, one part of her mattress sinking at the weight. Rey turned to her side, "Go away!" She shrieked underneath her blanket.

Her desperate appeal was answered with a small hiss. The pressure on her bed continued to move; the sound of old bed springs creaked silently towards her —on top of her. With the movement, came the cold. Even with the blanket covering her body, she shivered at the ungodly temperature. From her feet, the frigid air crept gruesomely slow towards her torso. Rey cringed further, struggling to fold her knees away from the cold, that her kneecaps reached her chin.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" She screamed underneath her covers. Biting back her tears, Rey brought her eyes to a close, desperately hoping for a miracle.

An angry gnash of teeth answered her, followed by a harsh exhale of breath —nasty and malodorous; rotten even — that seemingly blew through her blanket. A hiss and a high pitched shriek echoed through her room. It was followed by a whipping gust of air that slammed onto her glass window that left her curtain fluttering in hostility. Soon, the temperature that dropped tremendously suddenly reverted back to normal. There was no pressure on her bed; there was no movement whatsoever. The thing that haunted her, it finally disappeared.

Slowly, Rey bat her eyelids to an open. With a deep breath, she found the courage to peek away from her covers. Sitting up once again, Rey searched with cautious eyes. Her eyes moved from her ceiling, to the small corners of her room and lastly towards the edge of her bed.

There was nothing. She was alone.

It was finally over.

Rey exhaled, shakily but relieved. Relieved, but not ultimately feeling safe. She made a negligent error of turning off her lights that night. She was just trying to be thrifty, but it cost her her night.

Rey sighed in defeat, pulling the covers away from her feet. It only took small rushed steps before she got to turn on her light switch. As quick as she could, Rey made her way back towards her bed. She laid down, sighing in relief once more. With the lights on, she knew she is safe.

This unholy visitation, it has never happened before. But Rey was too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to even put a thought on her terrifying experience. Soon, her eyelids started dropping in fatigue. She would think about it in the morning. Pulling her blanket, Rey covered her whole body once again. Even with the lights on, it wouldn't hurt to be extra cautious. Deciding to sleep once more, Rey turned to her side.

A high pitched shriek of panic roared through Rey's throat. It left her kicking, struggling and pulling her whole body away from her protective blanket. No matter how much she struggled, it was futile. It left her with nothing more than fear and terror that the unknown had pulled her towards the darkness.

—

Rey's alarm clock blared for the hundredth time. It was already morning, her interview is today. She needed to move and prepare but she kept snoozing her clock, desperately hoping that clicking the button off would send her back to slumber.

It didn't. In fact, she wasn't able to go back to sleep. She was wide awake the whole night, trapped and stuck at one of the corners of her small apartment. She had her knees on her chest, whilst her hands held a small bottle of holy liquid from the Christian religion.

She is able to see the dead, she had been for a while now. She didn't know how or why, but ever since she recovered from her accident, they started appearing. Before, they were just there, lurking around, sending those eerie vibes, alerting her of their presence. It was terrifying, after all, they were dead. They're not supposed to be mingling with the living. More importantly, she should not be able to see them.

It took Rey one year to get accustomed to their presence. She learned to brush them off, thinking that they were once human too. The dead can linger in the face of this earth for all she cares, just as long as they don't bother her. For several years, her ghost sightings weren't such an inconvenience. But soon enough, the mere fact that Rey could see ghosts already hindered her normal life. For some reason, the entities knew that she could feel them; see them even. When she started college, she became a magnet to the supernatural. Ghosts started haunting her almost everyday; like creepy stalkers, they would follow her everywhere —in her college, inside her classroom, the library or even in fucking public restrooms. It became an everyday burden, but that's not all. As the years went by, the terror she thought she had accustomed to grew back in her soul. She became very afraid of them; terrified that they would not leave her be; too scared of the possibility they could do something to her; hurt her or even possess her.

That blossoming fear had swallowed her whole; and that fear hampered her everyday life. She couldn't even go to her college with her head held up. She was always alert, terrified, that one moment they can suddenly appear. At one point, Rey unwittingly screamed at the middle of a lecture after she saw the ghost of a woman casually sitting on the shoulders of her professor. From that point on, her already miserable life had become unbearable. In the outside world, Rey became a weirdo; a loner and pretty much a freak. After she graduated from college, she decided to live in isolation — secluded from the prejudiced glances of the living, and far way from the dead. But you can never run away from the dead, not really.

For a moment, Rey's eyes lingered on what supposed to be her apartment; her; living quarters, or whatever you may call it. It was a decent little space, a stock room on the roof of an apartment building. The land lady was easily convinced to let her use it as a room, of course, with the condition of paying the same rent as other habitable units. Rey did not question the land lady's conditions for her new home was perfect: isolated from people and more importantly, it was a space of safety and protection.

In the confines of her small domicile, not one entity dared to enter it. The ghosts would always stop at her door. Maybe because she filled it with relics and statues from all kinds of religion all around the world, even adorning her door knob with garlic (an eastern belief she knew of by searching the internet). But now, even her small safe space is not safe as she hoped it would be.

Last night, she wreck havoc in her little apartment upon seeing her most recent haunting— a man with a disfigured head, bulging left eye with a grotesque mouth. It looked like he was hit by a blunt object in the head, but she did not want to speculate. Ghosts are ghosts. They are dead. Their history should be out of the question because she has bigger problems — like how to get rid of them, for example or how to prevent them from entering her apartment and hiding beneath her god damn blanket.

Rey sighed as she remembered. The ghost slipped his way underneath her covers, scaring the shit out of her. What's worse, they met eye-to-eye; too close and personal that the man's ghost nose almost touched her flesh. Rey smelled his breath; she felt the murky liquid that trickled on his grotesque mouth. It left her screaming in horror, kicking and struggling in fear. But he held her, tight and firm, to the point Rey could not move. After moments of struggle, Rey was able to break free, finding the strength to topple her bed upside down.

Rey could remember how she ended up destroying half of her sacred relics — she threw them to the ghost. It was stupid, for they were translucent. Each statue she threw merely went through, pieces smashing on her wall, but she was desperate and on the edge. She didn't know what to do that night. After all the ruckus, prayers to all the gods, and desperate pleas, the ghost suddenly disappeared. Like an awful prank, the man just fizzled in the air.

Last night's haunting had been a new one.

It was just last night that these beings became bold; audacious enough to come close to her; crawl on her; to the point of actually touching her.

Rey gasped, cringing in her small corner. Remembering the events last night had brought back an unspoken horror. She carefully touched her forearm, the part where her last night's ghost grabbed her. Large hands that grasped tightly that the entity left a dark purplish-black bruise on her pale white skin.

She bit her lip, biting back her tears. Her worse fears have come true. They've come to hurt her. Nothing can protect her against them. Not her room, not her statues, not her bright lightbulbs, not her blanket, not even the foul smell of garlic


	2. The Street where We Meet

**Chapter 2: The Street where We Meet**

Death. What is death? In its essence, death is the cessation of life. It is a natural occurrence, ingrained deep and connected with the concept of existence itself.

Existence, an idea which is more often than not, equated to life. But what is life?

Rey heaved a heavy sigh, deliberately stopping herself from making her simple questions turn into a full blown mental discussion on existentialism. It might take forever to be able to understand what life and death is really all about, but she's not going to delve into that. Rather, her analysis is so much simpler. Rey would think that life and death are not so much of a paradox but an intermingled pair. Like two sides of a coin, as long as there is life, there will always be death.

A small scoff escaped Rey's lips as she laughed at herself for suddenly being philosophical. Her eyes then followed a wave of onlookers, gossipers, and/or concerned citizens racing towards the platform of the subway station. She herself was standing on the same platform, people bumping her here and there to reach the on going commotion. Despite the ongoing ruckus, she stood perfectly still.

Just like every commuter in this busy city, she too was patiently waiting for the train, one that she guessed is never going to arrive. She guessed right, for the PA system of the station rang in alarm. After the deafening noise, a soft spoken lady announced that the operation of the Aldera Metro Rail is indefinitely delayed due to a technical difficulty. Technical difficulty, meaning, someone jumped on the subway tracks, with an oncoming train slamming on that person's body. What's worse, the now crushed carcass is now stuck underneath the train's parts, preventing the same from moving.

Rey stared blankly at the platform, that the shrieks and screams of onlookers, the murmurs and cries for help, and the distant sound of ambulance sirens became nothing more but background noise. Somebody just died (she was lucky she didn't get to see the act itself), but just the mere thought of death should send her in a turmoil of different emotions.

But she felt nothing.

She felt empty

If she was most people, — a person with no inclining with the supernatural whatsoever — an untimely death of another would have been the ultimate shocker. But dying, as she already thought of earlier, is the most natural thing. The mere cessation of life made her indifferent; it left her numb. It's not anymore surprising. It's not even terrifying. What these onlookers need to understand is that there is nothing to fear in death itself. It's what that comes after demise that should terrify them.

—

Most people believe in the afterlife, heaven and hell, reincarnation or whatnot. Whatever belief each human being have, whatever religion, whatever philosophy, it all boils down to one conclusion — there is life after death. And as for this person who just committed suicide, Rey can only guess for him: Maybe he has a form of an unmedicated and unsupervised mental illness, his own hormones and the hardwires of his brain betraying him, causing him to ultimately end his life. Or maybe he decided to die because he believed in the afterlife too—thinking that his life after death will be better than his current living conditions.

Then again, Rey could be wrong. After all, there are reasons why people do the things they do. One thing's for sure though, if the man (who is now dead as a doornail) thought that his circumstances would be better if he dies, then he's mistaken.

He's wrong. Dead wrong.

You see, the afterlife doesn't exist; heaven and hell? An eternal place of rest? Those are all bullshit. If such places were real, there is no need for the dead to linger in this earth. After dying, these souls would have gone straight to where ever they should be going. And just like stories from every religion, there should be angels, demons, gods of death, or even grim reapers, assisting them towards the holy (or unholy, chose what you want to believe) place where they belong. But in the ten years Rey saw the souls of the departed, not one entity, clothed in white with majestic wings, came flying down from the skies to collect their souls; neither is there a being who rises up from the depths, one who is depicted in the tales of old having long horns and sharp fangs, that would carry the dead to hell; no cloaked skeletons harboring a giant scythe to fetch them; no death god, dressed in all black, guiding the dead to wherever. Instead, what happens, is as simple as the occurrence that is currently unraveling in front of her (now) cursed eyes: They continue to die. Like a vicious and wicked cycle, those who died will keep on repeating the event that caused their demise.

Rey shuddered. From the corner of her exhausted hazel eyes, she caught a glimpse of the exact same man who jumped on the subway tracks. He was several meters on her left, patiently waiting for a train. But unlike when his heart was still beating, or when his peachy flesh ran hot with the rush blood, and his body solid and opaque, the man in question was pale; he was translucent. What's worse, the physical injuries he acquired from getting ran over by the metal transportation were present.

He was missing an arm. And while there was no red liquid oozing from the source of the injury, the remnants of his now broken flesh gruesomely hanged from his shoulder joint. His skull had been split in half; the part which still connects to his neck, crushed. The other half separated from the rest of his face; his eyeball dangling onto the remains of what used to be his cheek, with only a thin string of muscle fiber preventing it from separating from the rest of his body.

The man's state had been deplorable as it was revolting. Rey wanted to outrightly vomit at the repulsive sight, yet for some reason, she could not look away. Instead, she slowly turned her head to the side, watching in pity as the man, with the heaviest steps, walked towards the edge of the platform. He jumped on the tracks soon after, his translucent body disappearing from Rey's vantage point. In a split second, he was back on the platform, waiting for another chance to jump. His mechanical movements went on and on; the unending sequence repeating once, twice, until Rey's insides churned rabidly inside her stomach, leaving her with no choice but to look away.

When her already throbbing head began to pound violently on her skull, Rey figured that it's time to leave. Coupled with the vibrations in her brain, her heart palpitated in uneasiness. The sheer fright of it all made her subconscious and conscious mind signal of what was yet to come. True, the dead repeat the events of how they died, but that's not all. That repetitive occurrence does not last long, especially when she's around.

With terror and apprehension, Rey told herself to move. She needed to get out, move as far away from the dead man on the tracks. Because at anytime, any fucking moment now, the man's ghost will, for one whatever reason or another, figure out that she knows. Just like the ghost in her apartment, they know that she could see them. And that's how her wretched hauntings begin.

She should have ran; hide, or whatever. But Rey was a second too late, for her worst fears came true. The disfigured spirit that should be jumping on the tracks anytime now, suddenly broke his cycle. Instead, he stood, unmoved; his gruesome head (or what remains of it), turning slowly towards Rey's direction.

They locked eyes. They just fucking had to. And as pathetic and pitiful as she was, Rey stupidly froze in place; her (already) tear-stricken eyes latching on to the spirit's broken face.

Tension rose straight to Rey's head, her breath stuck on her throat. Struggling to start with small broken steps, Rey forced herself to move backwards. With an agitated hiss, she clumsily pivoted her heel, finally making a run for it.

Rey's stubborn worn out office heels made it difficult to move. She tripped twice in panic, almost propelling her artist's portfolio in the air. She should have chosen to wear flat shoes for her interview, but no. She wanted to be presentable. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, scolding herself. There's no time for regret, and completely no point in lamenting her choice of footwear. The more pressing issue is that she needed to find a safe space, away from the detection of these beings.

Judging from the way the little hairs on her body stood in alarm, Rey knew that she was already being followed. But she did not dare to look back. Just like her apartment ghost, the dead man on the train... he is going to hurt her too.

He's coming. She needed to run.

Skipping two steps at a time, Rey retreated at full speed towards the entrance of the station. She made her way towards the street, never stopping at any circumstance.

The street —a place full of pedestrians; a wide space in the city where the blinding sunlight could reach; a location definitely far away from the dead man's ghost and distant from the eerie darkness of the subway. With people and the sun serving as a protection, she should be safe.

Rey reached the pavement, eyes searching for solace from her living nightmare. She felt a little secure, seeing passersby, although oblivious to her situation, walk along the sidewalk. But an onslaught of terror rose from her chest; like a tidal wave, pure trepidation drowned her whole. She heard a shrill hiss whispering from behind her, making her whip her head towards the source of the noise. But there was nothing; there was no translucent entity, just busy pedestrians.

The fact that she heard something, yet saw nothing made her chest rise and fall in panic. Soon, she was choking on her own air, struggling to even breathe; the oxygen that should have reached her brain did not make it there. The city began to fade in her eyes. Her world spun; her vision blurred.

"Miss, are you okay?" A kind stranger in the busy street asked her.

Rey blinked, struggling to find her footing. The good samaritan placed her hand on her shoulder, attempting to assist her. But Rey smacked the kind woman's hand, "Don't touch me!" she screamed in horror as she ran away again.

Fuck. She cursed to herself, tears now streaming on her eyes. She didn't mean to be ungrateful, but... the woman who tried to help her... she... she had no face.

Fuck!

Rey turned her head in every direction. Each person — that should be opaque and solid — suddenly morphed into featureless creatures. They had no eyes, no nose; no anything. They began to look translucent. She's surrounded by unholy beings!

Enough, she screamed in her head as she cried. This is not real, she convinced herself. Everything is all in her head.

"Psst." Rey had not yet recovered with her panic-induced delusion when a voice, shrill and menacing whispered on her ear. She was running still, but the sound was close; too fucking close on her ear, like it was there with her as she ran.

Rey covered her ears desperately, but no matter how hard she pressed on her hearing organ, the voice followed her everywhere.

"Psst."

"Stop!" Rey finally voiced her pleas.

A useless effort, for the voice continued.

"Psst."

"Psst!"

With an awful realization, Rey skidded on the pavement, forcing herself to stop. She helplessly dropped her hands to her sides, standing still in the middle of the sidewalk.

There is no escape from these entities, it should be very clear by now. She remembered how ineffective her sacred relics were; or how fruitless her efforts in trying to turn on her fluorescent lights. She did everything in her power to deter these beings: prayers, statues, holy mantras — they were all futile. No matter how fast she runs; no matter what religion she believes in, nothing can stop them.

Her moment of contemplation did not last long. As soon as she stopped running, the disfigured ghost of the man on the train materialized several meters away her. Nothing can stop them, she thought again as Rey and the ghost stared at each other for seconds; seconds that felt like eternity.

Nothing can stop them, as she helplessly stared back. Nothing... except maybe death itself.

Death — the concept that she took for granted ever since she was able to see the departed, it might be the answer to all her problems. With her world turning into a shit show, she came up with a very dangerous solution — an idea fuelled by pure helplessness and desperation.

Rey sniffed hard, wiping a tear with the back of her palm. She curled her fists tight that she felt her nails burn on her skin. No, she scolded herself. Self-inflicted death is never a solution. She was born to be a fighter. She knew she is stronger than this. But a wicked smile etched from the dead man's lips; his disfigured body slowly floating towards her. He was laughing at her; seemingly enjoying the sight of her frightened state.

That rotten and tormenting grin finally broke her. From that point on, Rey knew she's not as strong as she thought she was. She finally gave in, thinking that dying might not be so bad after all.

Rey stood silently in the middle of the sidewalk, lifting her head up to the sky. She inhaled deep, watching the fluffy white clouds as they gracefully traversed the deep blue sky. How long has it been since she appreciated these simple things? She can't remember. And maybe, in her lifetime, she won't be able too. Not anymore. Those ten years have been enough. She tried fighting; she did everything. But she is now too tired to fight; too exhausted with her life. She so weary. She just wants this to stop. Maybe the man on the train (when he was still alive) had made the right choice after all. If death would make these hauntings leave her, then she wouldn't mind dying. Repeatedly.

Once more, Rey brought her attention to the dead man in front of her, a haughty grin forming in her lips. The way she bared her teeth was wicked and seemingly insane, that for the quickest moment, she thought that the entity had become afraid of her. But she brushed it off, her vision tunnelling at the busy intersection meters away from her.

It was a mistake that she survived her accident ten years ago. Maybe the universe was warning her back then. It was trying to protect her; giving her a sign; a kind gesture —telling her that needed to die that moment, or else her already godforsaken life would become more miserable.

She gets it now. And she's sorry, for not being able to understand what the universe had been telling her. Rey began to cry once more— an ugly sob coursing through her throat. She didn't know if these were happy tears, or if she's weeping in regret for a short-lived life. But she didn't place too much thought on it because she need not worry anymore. She won't be frightened any longer.

It will be over soon.

With quick steps, Rey moved through the sidewalk. She mindlessly bumped people as she made her way towards the edge of the street, her shoulder brushing them.

"Shit!" A annoyed voice of a man roared, "will you watch where you're going, please?" He continued sarcastically.

Rey felt hot liquid trickle on her arm as she passed him by. For a moment, her tear-stricken eyes stared at the black stain on her office blazer; her nose smelling the familiar scent of coffee. The man she bumped, she spilled his drink.

A absentminded smirk escaped her lips, it was kind of a de javu from ten years ago. But ironically, unlike a decade back where it was her who was accidentally hit by a stranger, their positions are now reversed.

"Hey!" He called her out once more. Rey heard his protests, but not really, for she continued to walk towards the edge of the sidewalk.

It was the final push at life for the stoplight from where she stood turned red. The car horns blared continuously when she started to cross, one vehicle successful at missing her. But there was one, a ten wheeler truck, speeding too fast. She won't miss that one. Rey made one last inhale, readying herself from the pain.

For the first time in a long time, she finally smiled.

—

Rey blinked several times, confused. She's finally dead. She should be, by now... but it doesn't feel like it. There was no pain; neither did she feel her body flung in the air. Did she die that fast? Is death this easy? More importantly, does death really smell like coffee?

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" A familiar voice made Rey snap back to reality — the reality that her miserable life is not yet over.

"Let go!" Rey hissed, pathetically reaching for the back collar of her office suit to shrug the stranger off. Her efforts were futile; like a kitten being pulled by a much larger feline, the person dragged her towards the safe portion of the sidewalk, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

"Apologize." He said as he pulled her back.

"For what?" Rey snarled, relentlessly pushing forward. She needed to go back to the street; she needed to die. Just give her the fucking death she wants, for goodness sake! She whined in her head.

"For drenching me with coffee!" The man growled, pointing the obvious, as he dragged her further backwards.

Rey clicked her tongue in irritation. This man whom she accidentally spilled his coffee to was behind her, speaking non-sense, while tightly clutching the back of her worn out blazer.

Their tug-of-war seemed endless, the two of them stubbornly not giving in. Finally, Rey did a one hundred eighty degree spin, making the man's arms twist. He groaned in pain, loosening his grip. Rey took the opportunity to yank his hand away from her blazer. The successful attempt made her smirk, but the curl of her lips abruptly turned into terror. She cringed, freezing in place. Her mouth gaped open in fright for the train ghost, he... he was behind the man... his translucent chin casually resting on the man's shoulder. The dead latched on him, one arm disgustingly hugging him. But that's not all, the ghost was smiling wickedly. Again.

The terror that disappeared with the thought of death shot back through Rey's body. "Whatever you do, don't fucking move." She hissed a warning at the man who smelled like coffee, staring straight at his shoulder blade. Rey didn't know why the hell she said that. Her mind was telling her to run, but for some reason, the words just suddenly flowed like a word vomit.

Rey watched as the man crossed his arms in response, his biceps protruding nicely underneath his sleek black suit. He stared at her, looking as if she weirded him out for some reason. "Are you for real?" He furrowed his brows, his eyes squinting inquisitively.

What? Rey gawked in disbelief, taking offense with what he said. But before she could even speak her mind, the wretched spirit from the subway station closed in on the man; his hideous mouth opening wide. From that unsightly orifice came out his vile black tongue. Slowly, the ghost's unworldly and dead organ made its way towards the man's cheek, seemingly wanting to lick him; to taste him!

Rey gasped in horror. Her panic coupled with utter disgust made her grip her portfolio tightly. "Get the fuck away from him!" She screamed, slamming the white plastic folder at its translucent abominable face. She didn't know why she reacted that way. Maybe she felt the need to protect the oblivious stranger. Or maybe her actions were borne by sheer instinct, or immense loathing on these spirits, she doesn't know. It just felt like it was the best thing to do at the moment.

Rey gasped in shock soon after. She was not expecting the result of her charge. Just like when Rey hurled her sacred relics at her apartment's ghost, she knew all too well that the dead are not affected by whatever attack you throw at them. But this time, for some reason, her assault drove the it away, her portfolio ramming straight on its disfigured face with the force of her pounce sending the spirit rolling towards the pavement.

But her predicament is still far from over. Rey conjured a nervous exhale, clutching her folder that the sheets of her artwork crumpled. The entity that she seemed to ward off stood in all fours. He viciously growled at Rey, baring its foul teeth. Like a defensive animal, it raised its hips towards the sky, its only arm bending to the ground. It would seem like the spirit had become less human, becoming more of a dead beast; one which is readying itself to attack. Rey grinned in response, he can scare her all he wants because for the first time in a long time, Rey is not afraid. She has successfully repelled a ghost. And felt awesome!

In a blink of an eye, the subway ghost lunged forward. With new found courage, Rey readied to defend herself. She adjusted her feet; her hands prepared to swing. She saw the ghost lift itself in the air, going straight at her. But before anything can hit her, a forceful tug on her arm sent Rey off balance, making her drop her make shift weapon.

"What the hell?!" The coffee-scented man hissed. He pulled her towards him; grabbing both of Rey's wrist, preventing her from doing anything else. For a full minute or two, Rey stared dumbfoundedly at the stranger. She completely forgot that there was another human being caught in between the ongoing war between the her and the dead.

Rey gritted her teeth in irritation. Clearly having the sense of urgency, she struggled to get free from the man's grasp. She has no time for whatever he's currently blabbing about. The ghost is coming. She needed to get her "weapon" and she needed her freaking hands for it.

The spirit is going to hurt her! It will...

Huh? Rey blinked, dumbfounded at her realization. Where is it?

Rey wriggled in place, whipping her head towards her surroundings. There was no entity in sight, which is weird, because they don't suddenly disappear like that. Well, they do dematerialize when their wicked games are over but the ghost in question seemed like it hasn't had enough.

The apparition's disappearance confused Rey. She rubbed her tear-stricken eyes to get a better vision, but no matter how hard she searched, there was nothing. Not one spirit behind her; nor on her left or right. The only being in front of her is the man who smelled like coffee, whose honey colored eyes seemed displeased and angry.

The man then raised his brows, impatiently waiting for a response. But the unexpected evanescence of the ghost left her flabbergasted. But never mind that because the man was too close, making her freeze in place. From a far, the way he held her wrists appeared like they were going for an intimate and sultry ballroom session. The sheer absence of personal space between them made her nervous (more anxious than she was than being with the dead).

"Why the hell did you hit me?" The man growled begrudgingly, cocking his head down to emphasize his neck.

Rey blinked once again. On second thought, she will put a hold on thinking about their distance because... did she hit him? She analyzed as her brain rewired.

No, she didn't. Just to set the record straight, Rey did not hit the man. She smacked the shit out of that ghost. She...

Oh fuck —

There was an angry and angular patch of red on the man's neck. The part where the sharp edge of her portfolio slammed onto his pale skin created a small linear laceration on his cheek. Apparently, her attack not only sent the vile entity flying into oblivion but the momentum of her swing shot right through his face. When a droplet of blood trickled from his cheek, Rey gulped. Clearly, hurting him was never her intention. It just seem that way, but she can't tell him the truth now, can she?

"So..rry..." Rey said instead, shrinking in utter humiliation.

Her apology was responded by a thick and irritated click of his tongue, making Rey awkwardly tense in place. She closed her eyes soon after, readying herself for the barrage of insults, or worse, he might call the police and report an assault. But for a minute or so, he was just quiet.

"J...ust... will you look at the stoplight when you cross next time?" He mumbled, finally letting go of her writs. But as soon as the man's fingers started to loosen its clutches on Rey, for some unworldly reason, the ghost from the subway station, slowly — from his head down towards feet — started materializing out of nothing.

It stood once more, beside her. Yet unlike when it had a disfigured face and a crushed body, Rey only saw a man. Translucent, yes, but without injury; his head intact and whole; his detached arm back where it belonged. He looked like a man who passed away in his sleep, calm and peaceful, and not someone who died in such a miserable and painful way. What's even more surprising is that the ghost actually smiled at her, soft and gentle, that it sent Rey to a state of shock; her eyes widened, her mouth gaping open.

From there, Rey felt like her world stopped. Everything in her eyes went on slowly that she felt the pressure that the man's fingers made on her wrists disappear. Then, for some reason, the dead spirit glanced at both their hands, then back to her.

The spirit was trying to tell her something, but what exactly?

She gasped, finally having a moment of clarity. Her realization was a guess at best, but she had to try.

In a blink of an eye, her world suddenly moved; returning back to normal. And with that change, Rey managed to catch the man's wrist, clutching it tightly before pulling him close.

"W..wait," She whispered. The man stared at her, caught off-guard by the sudden contact. Rey lifted her free hand, tiptoeing to reach him. As gently and as careful as she could, she brushed the blood on his cheek.

"It's not deep," She said, checking on his wound.

The man merely cocked his head down in response, abruptly pivoting his heel to walk away from her. Rey did not mind how he reacted though, because at the slightest touch of his hand, the heavens seemed to open —a blinding light flashing before her eyes — and the the subway spirit slowly disappeared, finally finding an eternal place of rest.

Rey covered her mouth as tears of joy trickled down her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she had hope — a hope, disguised as tall man, with honey brown eyes and wavy shoulder length wavy hair, dressed in all black.


End file.
